Here is a link to the story...

Should be interesting to see if there are any folks out there stupid enough to resume use of the Florida TBD boards as though nothing happened. Too many people are going to view this as a vicotry for the doggie, instead of realizing he got off on a technicality. With the LE attention that site has,it's the LAST place I would trust for hobby information.

And who knows... LE may be gearing up for round two.  I don't care to be part of that plan if it exists, so I'll definitely be staying clear of TBD!

Local politics in Florida.... now that's another story.... and home many more million people know about bigdiggie.net now???

Was there any federal component to this law suit? If not, Ashcroft wouldn't have had anything to do with it.

I'm sure he's busy anyway with bible study, and making sure that another 9-11 doesn't happpen on his watch........MfSD.

Nice to know you can take the LE and the prosecutors at their word.

Link to article is bad.  What did it say?

here is a cut and paste from the article.  I think TBD should now be referred to as TTD (The Teflon Dog).


Deadline Kills State Internet Sex Case
By JOSHUA B. GOOD [email protected]
Published: Dec 17, 2002

 
TAMPA - Protecting the identity of men who used an Internet site to find prostitutes cost prosecutors their case Monday.
And one of the men they were trying to protect is Monte Belote, who is running for Tampa City Council.

Belote agreed to be a confidential informant and tell Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies everything he knew about BigDoggie.net, including the prostitutes he had sex with and how the Web site was created, according to records made public Monday.

But he wanted his name kept secret.

In exchange for information about escorts and meetings held to set up the Web site, Statewide Prosecutor Chris Brown agreed not to prosecute Belote for paying women for sex, records show.

Sheriff's Cpl. Kirk Bowling, the vice detective who oversaw the BigDoggie.net case, told Belote he would protect his name by making him a confidential informant, Bowling said.

On Monday, Hillsborough Circuit Judge Debra Behnke said not providing all information in a timely manner hampered defense attorneys.

She effectively dismissed the case by delaying the trial until next month, past the legal time limit to try it.

In June, the Statewide Prosecutor's Office brought racketeering charges against 16 defendants. Most were escorts accused of being prostitutes. The site's owner, Charles Kelly, also was charged.

For months, Bowling has said in newspaper interviews that there were no politicians, athletes or public figures among the confidential informants who provided information about the Web site.

Initially, Bowling tried to keep the names of his witnesses secret, worried, he said, that johns would not testify if their names became public. Behnke ruled that all witnesses' names should be revealed.

But Bowling delayed naming witnesses he deemed confidential informants.

On Monday, Bowling said he didn't know anything about Belote's political past or ambitions.

Belote was chairman of the Hillsborough County Democratic Party for 10 months in 1999. He also was executive director of the Florida Consumer Action Network from 1990 to 1998. In 2000, he ran unsuccessfully for the District 47 Florida House seat, which includes north Tampa and parts of Pinellas County.

He is running against Tampa City Councilman Shawn Harrison, who holds the District 7 seat.

Belote is married and has a 9-year-old son.

He told Brown and Bowling he has been having sex with prostitutes he met through the Internet since 1998, including escorts who advertised on BigDoggie.net.

When asked by Bowling who and how many, Belote said he could not remember exactly, but said he paid women between $250 and $300 for sex.

Reached by cellular telephone Monday night, Belote said he was at a family function and had no comment.

Five bit players in the BigDoggie.net racketeering case have charges pending because the time limit has not been reached for their right to a speedy trial or because they agreed to testify for the prosecution.

But Brown said he will consider dropping the charges against them since the major players, including the site's owner and eight other defendants, won't go on trial. Brown said he also might appeal Behnke's ruling.

bible study............ yeah....

And Ashcroft is busy appearing right now on Larry King Live, with Solicitor General Ted Olsen, who happened to lose his wife Barbara on the flight that was plowed in to the Pentagon by the 9-11 Islamic lunatics.

For the record, Ashcroft does hold voluntary prayer meetings for government employees, at DOJ's HQ in DC. MfSD

-- Modified on 12/17/2002 7:00:21 PM

I think it's great sites like TER and TBD exist....

I am glad to hear TBD appears as if they might be spared.

What i think is sad is that women (known RIP OFF'S that we all read about here on the great TER) like Claudia SF are number 22 or 23 on TBD!!!) We KNOW she's a rip off, there are pages and pages of bad reviews from reputable men that talk about how she's ripped them off, yet she manages to be near the TOP of the TBD national list.

I've written TBD about this and they won't take her off. Obviously there is someone being paid or laid to keep her on that list.

THAT is what I don't like about TBD.

Their top list and reviews are biased and that is why I love TER where you can see all the reviews, and if you're a paid member you can see the reviewer's history.

Way to go TER....

You truly ARE better than the rest.

GD

Trust me, some of us (including myself) will think more of you because you stuck up for what you believed in.

We do know not all the ladies on TBD did favors or paid to be on it...

Unfortunately the bad ones ruin it for the rest of you.

I personally am boycotting TBD and rely on this site and a few select others for my info but NOT bigdoggie.

A007

I don't know Nicole, I almost suspect TBD did you a favor by taking you out of their database.  I don't know if an honest escort gains much by being associated with what is perceived as a corrupt site.  Now, I don't know if the allegations regarding the Top Escorts list are true or not, but there is enough speculation that I no longer visit the site at all.

Yes,let's see,who does,I've been talking to the providers I see and asked if they like being reviewed on TBD.I also suggested to them asked potential new clients,how they found them and if they read any reviews on them without mentong TER first,if they mention only TBD,I adviced them to proceed with caution.(don't want to lose my fav.providers)

I think 2k1 is on to something, Nicole.

Keeping legitimate escorts like you on their site is like salting a hole to make it seem like a gold-mine. Burned hobbyists will simply assume that everyone listed is a fraud.

Also one has to wonder if LE aren't now running the TBD servers.

you are right. But I had some first hand knowledge relayed to me, of the manuvering that went on at TBD with the different rankings and regional lists. And the Mutt was definitely not above manipulating people, ladies, clients in any number of ways. Which was the main reason I left TBD as a member, and rarely visit the site anymore. MfSD.

-- Modified on 12/18/2002 6:30:12 AM

I was astonished!  Mind you, I am a volunteer here (I became a moderator by answering the "Moderator Wanted" ad on the board), and I have always been polite in my communications with TBD.  I admit that I was naive, but I was a very new escort on the internet and very idealistic.  I eventually came to realize that I was not alone in being castigated by TBD.  There are some very highly-regarded, popular ladies here who have never been seen on a TBD list (which only further detracts from the credibility of those lists).  It seems that being shunned by TBD puts one in some very good company.


-- Modified on 12/18/2002 7:43:18 PM

Here's the bottom line; TBD would have been a lot better off playing by the rules and NOT taking money or sex (or whatever he took) to put girls on the list.... plain and simple.

He might not have been arrested and also maybe men like myself would visit his site and use it. I don't think it was really to his advantage to manipulate the list.

In the long run a site like TER will do better as long as they keep their unbiased rating system and stick to their guns.

A

-- Modified on 12/19/2002 12:00:39 AM

PIAMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPP!!!! (breathe deeply)

PIAMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPP!!!! (again, breathe deeply)

MUHTA-FUCKAH!!!!!  (feel better now?)

As if the prosecutors are only going to watch TBD.  You think they don't know about TER?

Monte Belote = [email protected] also playfultmpa AIM and [email protected] Just incase you didn't know

You may want to believe that OFC is over, but is it?  Sure, maybe TER is being watched too, but then again maybe not.  What is certain, however, is that TBD is definitely on LE's sh*t list.  If you lay with dogs, foo, expect to wake up with fleas.

No matter what comes out related to LE and what they have to say about us, we will continue to post and advertise our tours.  It's called Free Advertisement" and if anyone gives us anything for free, why not take advantage of it.  

I love the message boards both TER & TBD and as long as they're
around, I feel it's my obligation to utilize  them whether posting tours or just passing information.  Who cares what the hell LE thinks, If a women's is smart, I mean, has her shit together and makes these guys do exactly what she wants, then she never has a need to worry about LA and I, for one,  am living proof having been the business for 3 years and have never came into contact with LE.

One Smart Rich SOB